1. Field
The present invention relates generally to data management systems and improvements thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to travel or trip data management systems and methods for use in an automobile or other vehicle and improvements thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
As vehicle systems become increasingly computerized and electronically controlled, vehicle performance and driving characteristics have become progressively more obscured from the drivers operating them. For example, performance tuning and other operational features for such vehicles are now difficult for the average consumer to understand and tweak or modify since underlying software or electronic-based systems can significantly impact these processes. Many times, only enthusiasts with compatible computer hardware and software are able to interpret and understand the specific settings (e.g., fuel maps, etc.) or characteristics of an automobile in order to modify vehicle parameters and to merely gain additional insight on efficient manners for operating the vehicle. Further exacerbating this issue is the recent increase in popularity of hybrid vehicles or other alternative fuel source vehicles with complex interrelationships among a variety of onboard vehicle systems.
Automobile consumers are also becoming increasingly more cost-conscious when purchasing vehicles, particularly in regards to fuel or energy efficiency, due in large part to the rapidly growing cost of vehicle fuel. Similarly, many drivers are becoming more interested in maximizing their distance traveled at a minimum of fuel consumed, but oftentimes have limited manners in which to modify or ascertain efficient driving habits to achieve such goals. Even outside the realm of fuel efficiency, automobile drivers appreciate feedback on vehicle performance without requiring extensive knowledge about the vehicle systems or manual and time-consuming calculations based on available vehicle data. A system or method for storing vehicle data that can be easily and simply provided to users of automobiles or other vehicles would thus be desired.
Ideally, such a system or method would be inexpensive to manufacture and integrate with systems or components of the vehicle. In addition, such a system or method would ideally allow for a variety of performance or other vehicle characteristics to be shared with the user of the vehicle. The system or method would ideally be flexible to allow users the ability to customize or manipulate data or statistical information to only that information desired by that particular user. Moreover, since such performance or other vehicle characteristics can be skewed as a result of limited data sets, resulting in information that may be unreliable, such a system or method would ideally be capable of discerning which data should be used for particular user showcases or statistic generation such that users are not presented with inaccurate or misleading information.